Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

Simple case £2,000 to £3,000 plus VAT (£2,400 to £3,600 inc VAT)

Medium complexity case: £5,000 to £7,500 plus VAT (£6000 to £9,000 inc VAT)

High complexity case: £10,000 to £15,000 plus VAT (£12,000 to £18,000 inc VAT)

 

Factors that could make a case more complex:

• If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
• Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
• Making or defending a costs application
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
• The number of witnesses and documents
• The length of the hearing
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal hearing of £500 per day plus VAT (£600 inc VAT). Generally, we would allow 1 – 3 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees. There are no longer any court fees payable to commence an employment tribunal claim.

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smooth process. 

Barrister’s fees estimated between £750 to £1,500 (+ VAT), i.e £900 to £1,800 (inc VAT), per day (depending upon the experience of the Barrister) for attending a Tribunal hearing (including preparation). 

Barrister’s fees for attending the first day of a Tribunal hearing will usually include general preparation for the trial and might range from £1,500 to £5,000 (+ VAT), i.e. £1,800 to £6,000 (inc VAT), depending upon complexity.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:-

• Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on the merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
• Entering into a pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
• Preparing claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
• Preparing bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

In the event that your claim is successful and your opponent does not pay you what the Employment Tribunal ordered them to pay, the fees set out above do not include the cost of taking enforcement action to recover any money due to you.

Further, in the event that your claim is unsuccessful, the fees set out above do not include the cost of seeking a review or an appeal against the outcome of an Employment Tribunal decision.

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during a pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 8 – 12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take around 12 – 24 weeks. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

In the event of any of these scenarios we would explain the process involved and the likely costs of taking further action. These will be very fact specific according to the details of your case. We will immediately provide you with the most accurate costs information that we can, should these circumstances arise.

VAT is charged at the prevailing rate which is currently 20%.

The fee earners with conduct of employment cases within the practice are:

John Wroblewski – Solicitor, Director and Head of Department – Date of admission as a Solicitor 16/10/95

The Solicitor who deals with your case will be supervised by Mark Lloyd – Solicitor/Director – Date of admission as Solicitor– 02/11/1992.